Knitting machine



May 12, 1953 M, B, sTRiA 2,637,988

KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

IN V EN TOR.

52 MAX B. STRIAR y 2, 1953 M. B. STRIAR 2,637,988

KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H 1 m 1 H5 I. I 21; 36 (g; 6 6

V EN TOR.

Mmg B. STRIAR Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE mvifrrmo MACHINE Max B. Striar, Worcester, Mass. Application Junezli, 1949, Serial No. 101,561

'12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of new and imroved thread guideswhich are constructed and arranged to be effective to. wrap the threads of the machine not herein fully shown, being around the needles in a positive manner without any possibility of failure of the action.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of new and improved thread guiding: means for knitting machines comprising a series of fiexible'thread guiding jacks, said jacks being reciprocated relative to the needles and including means for. slightly flexing the jacks from one side to the other of the needles asthe needles are rising, said jacks being retracted at the other sides of the needles when the needles are up so that the thread is definitely and positively wrapped around the needles, which descend after initiation of the retraction of the thread guiding jacks.

A further object of the invention resides n the provision of a thread guiding jack of the character described, said jack being provided with a plurality of forward dcwnturned threadguiding' element provided with apertures through which the thread is arranged from on side to the other and back again so as to insure engagemerit of the thread with the needles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a top plan view of one section of a cylinder knitting machine illustrating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section through the cylinder of Fig. '1 and showing the'general relation of the war guiding jacks and the needles;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofcne of the-warp guiding jacks showing'how-the threads are arranged therein: I Fig. 4 is a series of plan views showing the consecutive actions of the warp guide jacks and Fig. 5 is a series of partial side views illustrating the needle and jack action corresponding to the respective views of Fig. 4.

The present invention is illustrated in the draw ijngs as applied to a cylinder knitting machine, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this type of machine but is equally applicable to other type of knitters such as flat Knitters and I do not wish to be limited to the constructionshown except as recited-in the appnded claims. Also, only so much of the knitting machine is illustrated herein as is necessary to clearly disclose th present invention, all parts more or less of a general and well-known nature.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a section of a base ill which is stationary but in this case is shown as circular and is provided with a ring H in which is out a complete series of radial Slots M, which slots rectilinearly guide a like number of warp thread guiding jacks 16. These jacks reciprocate radially of the circular base It and are made to reciprocate by means of a rotating cam ring 18 having an upstanding cam 28 thereon working in a corresponding slot 22 in each jack it. Of course the cam will have a complete configuration for each complete recip rocation oi the jack 16. Indicated at 24 is the needle cylinder which, or course, contains the. usual vertical slots for the series of needles '28, these needles being vertically reciprocated. by means of a traveling cam 28 in the usual manner and in correctly timed relation with the reciprocation of the jacks it as will be made clear hereinafter. The needles of course may be either latch or spring type.

The stationary base It is provided with two stationary rings, one of which is indicated at 30 and is provided with slots 32. These slots are radial and in line with slot 14, but the ring 30 is inset below the surface of base it! as lainly shown in Fig 2. Another ring 34, also inset, has a like number of slots 36 but these slots are set at a slight angle to respective slots 32, and form therewith single slots, the inner parts of which are radial and the outer parts of which are located at a slight angle.

v Each jack It is provided with a depending pin 38 mounted on a split boss 40 secured to the guide it, see Fig. 3, pins 38 riding in slot 32 and 38. The result of this construction is that if the jacks Ware reciprocated in and out, the forward portions thereof will flex slightly according to slots 36, it being kept in mind that slots HI maintain the rear ends of the jacks radial with respect to the base, but when pin 38 moves out of slot 32 and intoslot 36, the flexing of the forward free ends of the jacks takes place. Thi flexure is in fact quite small and the jacks being made of spring steel are not adversely affected.

"A cover plate, the same size and shape as the sector shown in Fig. 1, is indicated at 42 and this ccverplate overlies the jack I6 and is provided with 'bottom slots 44 cooperating with-slots ll in maintaining the rear ends of thefiaclss straight and radial with respect to the base, The top plate #2 issecured to the ring 12 by fasteners 18 or the like.

The forward end of each jack is provided with a plurality of down-turned wrap guides indicated at 48, see particularly Fig. 3. These wrap guides are made of thin steel plates and are spaced by spacer blocks 50 a suflicient distance so that the needles may be received between them. Each wrap guide 48 is provided with two holes, one at 52 and one at its extreme end portion at 54; and forwardly of the wrap guides are thread guiding plates 56 having holes for guiding the threads 58 downthrough to the inside of each wrap guide 48, out through a hole 52, over the edge of the wrap guide plate, and back through hole 54 in the same direction, all as plainly shown in Fig. 3. The threads then go down to the needles as at 80. It is, of course, understood that there is a jack guide 16 through each slot I4 and each jack guide has a plurality of wrap guides 48, there being; a wrap guide for each needle. The out side wrap guides 48 are maintained in spaced relation to the next series of wrap guides by means of pins 62 which extend through the assembly and bear on the next pins in the next series of Wrap guides.

Referring now to Figs.,4 and 5, the relation ship of the jacks and needles is herein clearly shown. These two figures are arranged in sections A, B, C, D, and E showing complete cycles of operation- In the A diagram, the needles. are down and the jacks are retracted and it will be seen that the needle is to the left of "the jack [6. In diagragm B,.the. jack has come forward from one end of the slot 32 to the other but has not yet enteredslot 36 and therefore although the needle has come up to a slight extent, it. has not .reached its up position and. the verticalrelationship of needle and jack remains about the same. However as shown in diagram C, the jack has progressed through slot 36, and has become flexed, sweeping over the needle and to the. other side of .it. In diagram D, the needle starts back on its retractive step but the needle is now all the way up and the jack connot assume its former posititon because the needle is in the way and, therefore, the jack must be retracted to the left hand side of the needle, whereas it advanced at the righthand side of the needle, this action, of course, providing for the complete wrap around of the thread.

Diagram E shows all the parts ready to-start again. The needle is down, having had the thread wrapped around it, and pushed into the hook of the needle; and the jack is back in fully retracted position ready to come forward once more.

It will be seen that this invention provides a thread wrap around device which is positive in operation. The wrap around cannot fail due to the fact that in combination with the flexing of the jack, the threading of the threads through the wrap guides is such that the needle must be wrapped around thereby at every reciprocation in.a positive manner.. The jack cam 28 may of Icourse be dispensed with as the jacks are obviously reciprocable by any means such as by hand, gears, air, electrically, etc, It is to be understood that the threads 58 are knit in with a regular knit thread, and also another thread or yarn may be and has been laid in back of the needles, this thread'being a filler 4 that this guiding efiect takes place above the jacks l6 as well as below. Slots 32 and 36 may be made in the underside of cover plate 42.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A knitting machine comprising a needle support, a needle cam, needles reciprocated by the cam, and means to travel the cam past the needles, a base having slots therein, a thread guiding jack in each slot, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, and means to flex the jacks past each corresponding needle from one side to the other thereof as the needles rise to wrap the thread carried by the jacks about the individual needles, said jack flexing means comprising slots at an angle to the first-named slots, and means on each jack guided by engagement with a second-named slot.

.2. A knitting machine comprising a needle support, a needle cam, needles reciprocated by'the cam, and means to travel the cam past the nee; dles, a base having slots therein, a thread guiding jack in each slot, a jack cam 'to reciprocate the jacks, and means to flex the jacks past each corresponding needle from one side to the other thereof as the needles rise to wrap the thread carried by the jacks about the individual needles, saidjack flexing means comprising a guide for each jack and at an angle to a slot, and means on the jack in the guide, said needles being held in up position as the jacks retract sothat the jacks cannot return to original straight relation until passing'off the needles on the retraction stroke.

3. A knitting machine comprising a needle sup port, a needle cam, needles reciprocated by the cam, and means to travel the cam past the ne'edles, a base having slots therein, a threaded guiding jack in each slot, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, and means to flex the jacks past the corresponding needle from one side to the other thereof as the needles rise to wrap the thread carried by the jacks about the individual needles, said means comprising an element having a series of slots at an angle to the first-named slots, each jack having a pin in a second-named slot.

4. A knitting machine comprising a needle support, a needle cam, needles reciprocated by the cam, and means to travel the cam past the needles, a base having slots therein, a thread guiding jack on each slot, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, and means to flex the jacks past each corresponding needle from one side to the other thereof as the needles rise to wrap the thread carried by the jacks about the individual needles, said means comprising an element having a series of slots parallel to the first named slots and a second series of contiguous slots in prolongation of the said series of slots, each slot of the second series being at an angle to the cor.- responding slot'of the first series, and means on each jack riding in the two series of slots.

5. The knitting machine of claim 4 wherein the two series of slots are contiguous to each other but spaced from the first named slots so thata part only of the jack flexes, and a thread guide on the part that flexes.

6. A thread guiding jack comprising a flexible strip of metal, a plurality of wrap guides thereon in mutually spaced relation adjacent an'end thereof, each wrap guide having a pair of spaced holes for holding a thread through a hole, over the edge or the guida-and through the other hole in the same direction, and a thread guide on the jack for each wrap guide.

7. A thread guiding jack comprising a flexible strip of metal, a plurality of wrap guides thereon in mutually spaced relation adjacent an end thereof, each wrap guide having a pair of spaced holes for holding a thread through a hole, over the edge of the guide, and through the other hole in the same direction, and a pin located in the wrap guides transversely thereof and extending laterally beyond the same to engage the like pins of next adjacent wrap guides for spacing the same.

8. A knitting machine comprising reciprocatory needles, a needle cam to reciprocate the needles, reciprocatory springy jacks, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, means on the jacks to guide threads, means to maintain the jacks straight for a portion of the travel thereof, means to flex the thread guiding portions of the jacks at a point in the reciprocatory cycle thereof so as to sweep over respective needles from one side to the other of the latter, the needles thereof rising at the sides of the flexed jacks to be wrapped around by the threads, said flexing means comprising a two-part slot for each jack, each slot having a straight and an angled portion, and the jacks being reciprocated in the slots.

9. A knitting machine comprising reciprocatory needles, a needle cam to reciprocate the needles, reciprocatory springy jacks, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, means on the jacks to guide threads, means to maintain the jacks straight for a portion of the travel thereof, means to flex the thread guiding portions of the jacks at a point in the cycle so as to sweep over respective needles from one side to the other thereof, the needles rising at the sides of the flexed jacks to be wrapped around by the threads, a cover for the jacks, said cover having slots receiving the jacks remote from the thread guiding portions thereof to maintain the jacks straight while in the slots.

10. A knitting machine comprising reciprocatory needles, a needle cam to reciprocate the needles, reciprocatory springy jacks, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, means on the jacks to guide threads, means to maintain the jacks straight for a portion of the travel thereof, means to flex the thread guiding portions of the jacks at a point in the cycle so as to sweep over respective needles from one side to the other thereof, the needles coming up at the sides of the flexed jacks to be wrapped around by the threads, said jack flexing means including a slotted memher the slots of which are at an angle to the general direction of reciprocation of the jacks.

11. A knitting machine comprising reciprocatory needles, a needle cam to reciprocate the needles, reciprocatory springy jacks, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, means on the jacks to guide threads, means to maintain the jacks straight for a portion of the travel thereof, means to flex the thread guiding portions of the jacks at a point in the cycle so as to sweep over respective needles from one side to the other thereof, the needles coming up at the sides of the flexed jacks to be wrapped around by the threads, said jack flexing means including a slotted member the slots of which are at an angle to the general direction of reciprocation of the jacks, a pin on each jack disposed in a slot, and another slotted member receiving and guiding the jacks, the slots of the last named member being parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the jacks.

12. A knitting machine comprising reciprocatory needles, a needle cam to reciprocate the needles, reciprocatory springy jacks, a jack cam to reciprocate the jacks, means on the jacks to guide threads, means to maintain the jacks straight for a portion of the travel thereof, means to flex the thread guiding portions of the jacks at a point in the cycle so as to sweep over respective needles from one side to the other thereof, the needles rising at the sides of the flexed jacks to be wrapped around by the threads, a cover for the jacks, said cover having slots receiving the jacks remote from the thread guiding portions thereof to maintain the jacks straight while in the slots, said cover being fixed and the sole element in the machine above the jacks, said cover holding the jacks against upward movement at all times.

MAX B. STRIAR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,034,869 Holmes et a1 Mar. 24, 1936 2,065,469 Kent Dec. 22, 1936 2,463,751 Deans et a1 Mar. 8, 1949 FGREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,535 France Feb. 16, 1906 (1st Addition to No. 348,904)

12,552 Great Britain of 1908 208,971 Germany Apr. 16, 1909 377,936 Germany June 29, 1923 

